(a) Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with a truck supporting device and a platform assembly particularly for use at a dock for the loading and unloading of trucks; more especially, the truck supporting device has a reciprocatable chock in a guide track, the platform assembly includes a platform on which a truck is supported by the platform assembly at the dock, a guide track with a reciprocatable chock being defined in the platform; in a particular embodiment the platform is hingedly movable about an outer end whereby the level of the floor of a truck or container supported on the platform can be raised or lowered to match that of the dock, whereby the assembly forms a truck levelling device.
(b) Description of Prior Art
Loading and unloading docks typically comprise a generally rectangular opening in a building, the floor of the dock, and usually of the building being above the external ground level.
In use, a truck backs up or reverses towards the dock so that the rear of the truck is in opposition to the dock opening and personnel can readily move back and forth between the truck floor and the dock floor for loading or unloading the truck.
In many cases, the dock floor comprises a dock ramp which can be adjusted in height to accommodate small differences between the height of the truck floor and of the building or dock floor above ground level.
In recent years, truck design has advanced to provide a greater carrying volume. As part of this advance, many modern trucks have a much lower floor than their predecessors; the floor being much closer to ground level. The result of this is that many modern trucks have a truck floor which is significantly below the height of the dock floor, and this presents problems in unloading and loading at the dock.
Truck containers have also been introduced in recent years, and in this case the floor of a container carried by a truck may be above the dock floor.